Jose Antonio Chavarria-Marquez, a 43-year-old citizen of El Salvador, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 7 for illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said Chavarria-Marquez was found in York, Pennsylvania, on April 14 after having been removed through Laredo, Texas on April 4, 2019.
The indictment alleges that Chavarria-Marquez reentered the country without permission. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, "the indictment alleges that Chavarria-Marquez illegally reentered the United States and was found in York, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 2026, after he had been removed from the United States through Laredo, Texas on April 4, 2019, and reentered without having permission to do so." The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evelyn M. Stoner is prosecuting it.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. The initiative aims to marshal resources of the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
If convicted under federal law for this offense, Chavarria-Marquez faces up to two years in prison as well as supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Sentencing would be determined by a judge considering applicable statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil cases in a jurisdiction covering thirty-three counties across central Pennsylvania; it offers victim support programs as well as initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods aimed at reducing recidivism according to the official website.
The office reminds that indictments are only allegations: "Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court."
